Tunable electro-optic Q-switch, and lasers using same
This patent describes an electro-optic Q-switch for a laser having a resonant cavity including an output coupler, a gain medium and a retro-reflecting mirror, for mounting in the resonant cavity between the gain medium and the retro-reflecting mirror, the resonant cavity supporting a cavity mode on a lasing axis. It includes polarizing means, mounted on the lasing axis, for polarizing the cavity mode in a direction of polarization; phase retarding means comprising an electro-optic substrate having a crystallographic axis, for inducing controllable phase retardation in the cavity mode in response to an applied electric field in the substrate; means for supporting the substrate in the phase retarding means so that the lasing axis lies essentially in a plane of the crystallographic axis 45{degrees} from the direction of polarization, and lies at an angle relative to the crystallographic axis; and control means, connected to the phase retarding means, for supplying the applied electric field within the substrate having a first magnitude in a first state and a second magnitude in a second state, wherein in the first state the phase retarding means induces essentially 90{degrees} polarization rotation in a round trip for the cavity mode.
- Assignee:
- Spectra Physics, Inc., Mountain View, CA (USA)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5001716; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-500576
- OSTI ID:
- 5114197
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 28 Mar 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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